Song of the Century
by HamhaPHKFan
Summary: Markl wakes up in the middle of the night, and hears Calcifer singing a strange song about saucepans.


Markl rolled over under his covers, trying in vain to fall back asleep.

He couldn't ignore how much his throat hurt. Markl shifted again to see if he could get comfortable. He laid silently for a few more minutes before groaning and rising from his bed.

The castle drifted silently through the night sky. Howl had ordered Calcifer to land the castle next to the lake so they could do laundry the next day. The trip was taking longer than expected. They should have arrived there by midnight, but is was almost two in the morning.

Markl yawned and rubbed his eyes. He didn't feel well at all. He thought that was odd, because he felt great the day before. Markl wondered if he should wake Sophie up, but quickly decided against it. Waking Howl was also out of the question.

Sliding off of his bed, Markl headed out of his room. He hoped a glass of water would get rid of the pain in his throat. He paused halfway down the stairs when he heard a voice. Curious, Markl peered over the railing.

The Witch of the Waste was asleep in her bed with Hein the dog snoozing on the floor next to her. Calcifer was flickering sleepily in the hearth, but he appeared to be awake. Markl blinked when he realzed that the voice was coming from the fire demon.

Calcifer was singing softly to himself, unaware that someone was watching him. The song was in a language that Markl didn't understand. Markl stood quietly on the stairs and listened to the fire demon's song. After a few seconds, Markl continued down the stairs.

Calcifer abruptly went quiet when Markl strolled past him and into the kitchen. The fire demon heard Markl rummage through the cupboards and turn on the faucet. A moment later, Markl walked into the living room with a cup of water clutched in his hands. Calcifer watched as the boy walked over to the couch and sat down.

Both the boy and the fire demon were silent, besides Markl swallowing his water, gratefully. Markl put the empty glass next to the hearth and rubbed his throat, wincing. Calcifer waited a moment before speaking. "You okay?"

Markl nodded. "Yeah. I just couldn't sleep."

Calcifer ducked slightly behind the logs in what looked like mild embarrassment. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Markl replied, stiffling a yawn.

The silence returned. The only other sound in the castle was the Witch of the Waste's snoring. The castle circled in the air a few times. Calcifer had arrived at the lake. He slowly lowered the castle onto the ground. Markl was surprised at how softly Calcifer could land.

Calcifer yawned and settled down into his logs, closing his eyes to try and sleep. Markl shifted into a more comfortable position on the couch. "What were you singing before, Calcifer?"

The fire demon peered at Markl before closing his eyes again. "Sosban Fach."

"Saucepan Vash?" Markl raised an eyebrow. That was a weird name for a song.

Calcifer grumbled tiredly. "_Sosban Fach_."

Markl spoke again. "What language is it in?"

"Welsh." Calcifer replied. The fire demon grabbed another log, realizing that Markl wouldn't let him rest for a while. The boy didn't seem tired at all, even though he was slightly pale. Markl leaned into the back of the couch.

"Can you teach me how to sing it?" Markl asked.

The question caught Calcifer by surprise. He was about to tell Markl to forget it, but he saw how determined the boy looked. Markl wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. Calcifer sighed in defeat.

"_Mae bys Meri-Ann wedi brifo, a Dafydd y gwas ddim yn iach_." Calcifer sang quietly, trying not to wake Howl or Sophie. They would have thrown a fit at this hour. "_Mae'r baban yn y crud yn crio, a'r gath wedi sgramo Joni bach_."

Markl listened intently. He didn't know why he wanted to learn that song. Perhaps it was because it would distract him from his throat.

"_Sosban fach yn berwi ar y tân, sosban fawr yn berwi ar y llawr_," Calcifer continued. His voice clearly showed his exhaustion. "_A'r gath wedi sgramo Joni bach."_

It was working. Markl was so focused on the fire demon's song that he couldn't feel his throat anymore. The combination of Calcifer's quiet voice and the tune made the song sound something akin to a lullaby.

"_Dai bacj y sowldiwr, dai back y sowldiwr_," Calcifer kept singing, the Welsh song rolling off of his flamed tongue in a way that made him sound like he was completely fluent. "_Dai bach y sowldiwr, a gwt ei grys e mas_."

With that, the fire demon went silent. Markl waited for him to continue, but Calcifer only picked up another log. Markl tilted his head. "That's it?"

"No, there's more, but that's the gist of it," Calcifer said as he stretched out over the hearth. He yawned, once again trying to settle down.

Markl nodded. He stood up, walking over to the hearth and sitting down beside it. "What does it mean?"

Calcifer grumbled again, his words slurring together slightly in his exhaustion. "It's a story 'bout a messed up family and a bunch of saucepans."

Markl blinked, leaning forward, arms resting on the hearth, though far enough so he wouldn't get burned. His eye lids felt heavy. Calcifer's warmth wrapped around him like a blanket. He rested his head on his arms as he spoke. "Can you sing it again, Cally?"

In most cases, Calcifer would flare up at that nickname, but he decided that it was too late out for him to care. Calcifer sang.

* * *

It was early in the morning. Sophie slowly sat up in the bed, taking care not to wake up Howl. She quietly stood up, doing a quick brush-through of her hair before exiting the room.

Sophie made her way down the stairs, then when she reached the bottom, she slowed to a stop at what she saw.

Markl was leaning against the hearth, breathing softly as he dreamt. Calcifer flickered in the hearth, sound asleep. They both looked so peaceful, which put a smile on Sophie's face.

Sophie walked over, carefully picking Markl up. She reached out and gently placed a log next to Calcifer, who mumbled something and pressed himself down into it.

Sophie's smile widened, and she carried Markl back up the stairs, taking him to his bed, all while humming a song she had heard during the night.


End file.
